Seduction is the art of succeeding without effort, and that's a lesson the French have mastered. We can see it in their laissez-faire parenting, chic style, and haute cuisine: They barely seem to be trying, yet the results are terrific—thanks to a certain je ne sais quoi that is the key to a more creative, fulfilling, and productive life. Here philosopher Ollivier Pourriol draws on the examples of such French legends as Descartes, Stendhal, Rodin, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Françoise Sagan to show how to be efficient ? la française, and how to effortlessly reap the rewards.